


The Speed of my Heart Rate

by CastielFollowMe



Series: Single Dad Shiro Verse [80]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, New driver, Panic, Shiro is a big fat panicker, Teaching to drive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-17 17:02:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10598325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CastielFollowMe/pseuds/CastielFollowMe
Summary: It's that dreaded time of Shiro's life. The one he's been anticipating. The one that he's heard horror stories from other parents. Teaching Keith how to drive.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "Thought up another one! How about Shiro teaching Keith how to drive and freaking out in the most hilarious way possible? And Keith is all like, "You went to war! GET A GRIP MAN!" And when it's over Shiro tries to play it off as if he wasn't worried at all. "I wasn't screaming, I was cheering you on there's a difference." But Keith recorded the whole thing because Lance told him he should, having already been there with his own parents. And you can bet he'll be showing it to all of their friends."

Dad, are you ready to go?”

              Shiro looked up from the tablet he was reading on. Red was snoring across his legs; the poor girl was worn out already due to her age and often spent time sleeping on Shiro or Keith. The glasses slid down the bridge of Shiro’s nose when he looked up at his fifteen-year-old son.

              “For what?” Shiro frowned. He didn’t remember making any plans with Keith, not that it would stop him from making sudden plans now, but usually Keith made plans ahead of time. Last minute deals weren’t his style.

              “To drive? Remember, you said you’d start teaching me on the 11th. That’s today.” Keith resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his father. _Of course, he would forget. Silly old man._

              Shiro’s eyes widened at Keith’s explanation and suddenly he saw the keys in Keith’s hands. _Oh. Right._ Now Shiro did remember telling Keith that he would help Keith practice his since Keith already had a permit and knew all the basics.

              Admittedly, Shiro had been putting off actually _driving_ with Keith for a few weeks now. But there was only so many excuses Shiro could keep giving Keith, every time that he couldn’t drive with his son. Shiro didn’t know why he was so nervous to drive with Keith. Keith had never given him reason to believe he would be a _bad_ driver, and Shiro knew that his son was one of the most responsible people on the planet. Though, there was a teeny-tiny bit of influence towards Keith’s driving, judging by his Mario Kart and racing game skills. Keith wasn’t exactly the best driver in those games.

              But of course, that had nothing to do with Keith driving in the real world.

              No; absolutely not.

              That would be ridiculous.

              “Ah, oh yeah.” Shiro chuckled nervously and scratched the scar on his nose. He set the tablet down and shifted, causing Red to whine and move into a better position off Shiro. Shiro immediately wished the dog had tried to make him _stay._

              “Right. Let’s go!” Keith said, eyes bright with excitement and Shiro almost felt guilty about his hesitance for letting Keith drive. If he could keep that look of excitement on Keith’s face forever, then Shiro would drive with Keith a thousand times over. Keith turned out the door and ran to the car in their driveway, with Shiro lingering behind wearing a gentle smile.

              _Maybe this won’t be so bad._

x.V.x

              _Correction: This is bad. This was so bad._

              “Keith, Keith slow down.” Shiro felt his grip on the handle on the roof, tighten until his knuckles were white. His entire back was stiff as a board against the seat and his other hand was digging into the material of his jeans.

              “Dad, I’m literally going the speed limit.” Keith huffed from the driver’s seat but slowed down once they came to a stop sign.

              “That’s the _fastest_ you should be going.” Shiro whispered tightly. “There’s no shame in going slower. Why you go even go about ten to fifteen below - _oh sweet lord!”_ Shiro’s entire body tensed when the car turned sharply to the right and onto a busier road. Keith grinned from where he was seating when he had easily maneuvered into the other lane.

              “Car. Car. There is a car right next to you!” Shiro’s eyes widened when he tried to inform Keith of the car beside their own, when Shiro heard the dreaded noise of the blinker being signaled on. That could only mean one dreaded thing.

              Keith was going to change lanes.

              “I know. I have mirrors.” Keith did, in fact, roll his eyes this time. He waited until the car passed by them and switched over in the next lane.

              “Are you checking all of them? Every three seconds? Make sure you look in the rear-view mirror.” Shiro swallowed thickly and when he tried to let go of the handle on the roof, he found that he could not. Instead, his grip tightened once more when the speed of the car began to go up.

              “Remember what I said about going below the speed limit? That’s a thing and you can do that. No shame in it. _Keith!”_ Shiro could feel his heart racing in his chest. He was sure that it was about to jump out of his throat and out of his body. Shiro didn’t know if he could live without his heart. _Would Keith have to drive him to the hospital if he had a heart attack right now?_

_Would Keith even be able to get to the hospital?_

              “Red lights. Keith there are red lights.” Shiro suddenly said, leaning back in his seat. Instinctively his foot went down to the floorboard as if he were attempting to hit an imaginary brake. “Red lights!”

              “I can see dad. And if you could too, you would see we are slowing down to a stop.” Keith muttered under his breath but the car did stop behind another car, with a good distance between them. This didn’t help Shiro to calm down or for his heart to stop racing in his chest.

              _What if this is it? I’d have to make my will. Make sure Keith doesn’t get this car. Or any car for the matter._

              “Dad I’m turning left here right.”

              “Use your blinker – _holy shit Keith slow down –_ yes. Stay in your lane. _For the love of god Keith, the furthest lane.”_ Shiro almost whined and he prayed to anyone listening. _I’d leave the house and all of my old belongings to Keith of course. He’d live with mom and dad until he was at least 18, but knowing them they’ll keep him around forever._

              “Keith, stop. _Oh, my god._ You need to go slower, Keith there could be _children!”_

              “Do you see any children dad? I’m not even going that fast. Relax.”

              _Antok can have my old bike. Ulaz can have the guns; Keith doesn’t need them. My old bed set can go to Allura. I know she’s been eyeing those Egyptian cotton sheets._

              “Children! Keith think of the children. _**How did you end up like this? I am a good person.”**_ Shiro hadn’t even realized that he was slipping back into his native language in his panic when Keith took another sharp turn into another neighborhood. There weren’t any other cars on the road, but that did nothing to ease Shiro’s panic and worry.

              **_“Do you see any children? Stupid old man.”_** Keith muttered back in Japanese and Shiro gasped loudly.

              **_“How dare you insult your father? After risking my life like this?”_** Shiro gripped the handle even tighter when their stop was a bit jerky. Keith snorted, his own hands nearly white as they held onto the steering wheel.

              _Keith doesn’t deserve my makeup kits then. Maybe Lance wants them. Or Hunk. They wouldn’t kill me driving. Hopefully._

              “Make a left here. ** _Keith, I said make a left. Oh lord._ ** You can’t just make a sudden turn like that.” Shiro felt his heart slowing. _Was this what a heart attack felt like?_

              “You can’t just tell me to turn at the last minute!” Keith argued back and the speed of the car increased.

              **_“I am a good person? At least, I think I am. I know I’ve done wrong but please, I do not deserve this.”_**

“Get a grip! You went to war. You were in the _army!”_ Keith shot back when his dad muttered a prayer under his breath. He would laugh at how comical the whole situation with his dad was if driving wasn’t stressful enough. He’d save the laughter for once they got home. Keith looked through the window and could see the familiar color of their house just in the distance. When he looked at his dad, Keith saw that his dad’s eyes were shut and didn’t know how close to the house they were and Keith smirked.

              “Hey dad, how about we try the highway! I can get off right here.” Keith joked and Shiro’s eyes flew open.

              **_“KEITH AKIRA SHIROGANE_** DON’T YOU DARE GET ON THAT HIGHWAY – oh.” Shiro blinked when he realized that they were not getting onto the highway but had parked right outside their house. He ignored his son, trying to stifle his giggles after he put the car in park and turned off the engine.

              For a few more minutes, Shiro sat in silence, waiting for his racing heart to _finally_ calm down while Keith snickered. Shiro eventually, pulled down his hand, only to realize that the handle was in his hand. He had _torn_ the handle off the roof. He stared at the broken handle in his hand before looking at Keith, who was silently staring at the handle too.

              Until he burst into uncontrollable laughter.

              “Oh, my god, you broke the handle?!”

              Shiro pouted at his son’s laughter, cheeks dusted red with embarrassment.

              “It was loose anyway. I needed to fix it. I wasn’t worried at all.” Shiro said cooly, pretending as if he wasn’t having a mental breakdown mere minutes ago. Keith continued to laugh even harder and ignored his dad.

              “You were practically screaming the whole time.” Keith managed through his giggles and Shiro huffed before crossing his arms over his chest. He would not be embarrassed by his son.

              “I was not, I was simply cheering you on. There is a very big difference.” Shiro said pointedly and Keith snorted but managed to not burst into giggles again. He grabbed his phone which had been sitting in a cup holder between them before tapping a few buttons on the screen. Shiro frowned and tried to speak only to be cut off by the sound of his own _voice._

              “Use your blinker – _holy shit Keith slow down –_ yes. Stay in your lane. _For the love of god Keith, the furthest lane.”_

              Shiro’s entire face went red and he spluttered in his seat.

              “You were recording me?!”

              “Oh yeah.” Keith grinned cheekily and Shiro almost wanted to strangle his son. “Lance told me to do so, after his parents freaked out when they started teaching him and it was worth it. Wait until everyone hears that the big, bad, fearsome Takashi Shirogane screamed when he tried to teach his son how to drive.” Keith laughed and exited the car. Shiro was frozen for a split second as the implication of the words actually sunk in and his heart raced again.”

              “Oh no you don’t!” He raced out of the car and after his laughing son. “You give me back that phone! Keith, I am serious; give it to me! Don’t you dare run away from me! Keith! I will ground you until your 80! Keith!”


End file.
